Record breaking Erling Haaland scored five goals in a stunning 35 minute burst as Manchester City demolished RB Leipzig 7-0 to saunter into the Champions League quarter-finals – and then playfully scolded Pep Guardiola for denying him the chance of a double hat-trick.
The Norway striker took his tally for the campaign to 39 making him City’s record scorer in a season, beating a 94-year record held by Tommy Johnson, who scored 38 in 1928-29.
Haaland, 22, who became only the third player after Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano to score five goals in a single Champions League match and the youngest player to hit 30 goals in the competition – began his onslaught with a 22nd minute penalty and had completed his hat-trick – his fifth of the season – just before half-time.
The barrage continued in the second half, with two more goals by the hour mark before he was substituted shortly afterwards – to his displeasure.
“I told him [Pep Guardiola] when I went off, ‘I would love to score a double hat-trick’. But what can I do?” Haaland said, laughing.
“My super strength? I think after scoring five goals, I have to say scoring goals… A lot of goals today, I didn’t think. I was just doing it.”
Asked about the prospect of denying Haaland the chance to become the first player to score six goals in a Champions League game, Guardiola said: “If he would have achieved that at 22 years-old, he would be bored in his future.
“Five in 60 minutes, no more than that – if he did 90 minutes who knows what he could do! Incredible guy, incredible mentality.
“The problem is every time he doesn’t score two or three, he will be criticised. His mood is a gift to all of us, a huge competitor. He scored five, had 30-35 ball contacts, that’s what we’re looking at.”
Haaland added: “If I am honest I am a bit blurry in my head and I don’t remember them but I remember just shooting and not thinking,” he said.
“I was so tired after the celebrations. We worked on the pressing yesterday. Every game, we have to put pressure and run because we are so good at winning the ball. With Kevin [De Bruyne] when he can get the ball in front of him towards the goal. It was part of the plan and in my opinion we should do this more.”